Santana

The choice of "Welcome," a John Coltrane composition from Kulu Se Mama, as the title tune
of the new Santana album is a natural follow-up to Carlos' album with Mahavishnu John
McLaughlin. Coltrane pioneered the direct rendering of spirituality through music in
performances like "A Love Supreme" and "Welcome," and the recent resurgence of
interest in his work by spiritually inclined rock musicians is scarcely surprising.... More >

More confident and hence more fun than Caravanserai, this proves that a communion of multipercussive rock and transcendentalist jazz can move the unenlightened--me, for instance. Good themes, good playing, good beat, and let us not forget good singing--Leon Thomas's muscular spirituality grounds each side so firmly that not even Flora Purim can send it out the window. (Grade: B+)